Portland's Wesley Matthews is being called 'ballot' because he thinks he should be on the All-Star team. / Craig Mitchelldyer, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Wesley Matthews was insulted that he wasn't included on the annual All-Star ballot recently, so he deemed it "ridiculous" to any reporter who would listen and, naturally, proceeded to play like an actual All-Star. Teammates who were more than willing to fuel the fire of this self-described underdog nicknamed him "Ballot." Motivation may have been found in a place that was mostly meaningless, but no one in the Blazers organization was about to argue with the results.

The Blazers' winning streak ended at 11 games Wednesday night in a 120-106 loss to the Phoenix Suns, but it changed nothing about the reality that Matthews was right. Matthews should have been on the ballot. And through 16 games, with his two-way talents playing such a huge part in Portland's 13-3 start, Matthews should be in the conversation about being on the actual team.

It's the longest of long shots that he will be, of course, especially since Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will likely be voted in by fans even with the April Achilles tendon tear that he has yet to return from. Even with Matthews averaging a career-high 16.7 points, there are four shooting guards in the Western Conference scoring more than him per game than Matthews: the Houston Rockets' James Harden, the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Martin, the Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks' Monta Ellis.

His claim as the Blazers' best perimeter defender - the guy who takes on the toughest wing challenge every time out - isn't an exclusive trait among his peers either. But ask these Blazers if they could be these Blazers without his relentless and incredibly-efficient play, and the All-Star votes aren't tough to come by.

"Man, whatever he's doing, he'd better keep doing that," Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. "He's been great. He's got us off to a great start. ... He's been dialed in, making threes, making shots, getting to the basket. He's been on another level. That's been great for us.

"Ever since that day (Matthews was left off the ballot), he's been on another level. He's the type of guy where he can take anything and use it for fuel. I thought he took that and he handled it great. He's showing everybody."

Matthews is no stranger to being overlooked. After four years at Marquette, he went undrafted before signing with the Utah Jazz and quickly becoming a favorite of coach Jerry Sloan. Even after a steady first season - averaging 24.7 minutes over 82 games as a rookie was a major compliment considering his coach - he wasn't re-signed and ultimately landed a five-year, $34 million deal with the Blazers.

This isn't entirely new territory for Matthews, but he's doing what he's done the past three seasons significantly better than before. His field goal percentage (55.4%) and three-point percentage (50.5%) are career highs, as are his 4.8 rebounds per game. More impressively, though, he leads the league in effective field goal percentage (68.9%) among players who are averaging at least 20 minutes per game. Effective field goal percentage adjusts for value of a three-point field goal relative to a two-point field goal.

"He's played great," Blazers point guard Damian Lillard said. "He works so hard during the game, chasing guys off screens, guarding in the post, one on one defense. I think it's just a reward for how hard he works and how hard he plays with how well he's playing offensively‚?¶It didn't just happen. That shows how hard he works, how much he believes in himself."

Matthews certainly does that. And while he's thrilled to contributing at such a high level, he swears he's not consumed with getting his just due.

"Honestly, if (more respect) comes, that's great," Matthews said. "I know my friends and my family would be excited about it, because they're the ones that get more upset about it than I do. But if it doesn't come, then it's nothing new, then it's the same thing that it's always been since high school."

More importantly, as Matthews sees it, the Blazers are where he thought they could be all along.

"This is what we were all brought here to do," he said. "This was what was meant to happen this offseason. Did anybody think it would be like this? Probably not. ... But we're just grabbing it by the horns and we're continuing to play. We're continuing to play hard every night. We believe in each other. We believe in ourselves, and we truly feel we should win every game."

CONSIDER YOUR HOME: How LeBron should handle free agency

The Northeast chill returned in Cleveland this week, with temperatures dropping rapidly after what had been a mostly-comfortable fall. Meanwhile, the ice that was once so thick between LeBron James and the people of his home state who used to adore him continued to thaw.

Some of this is no more complicated than human nature proving consistent yet again - time heals all wounds and all the rest. This was James' fifth visit to play the Cleveland Cavaliers since he became the prodigal son by signing with the Miami Heat in the unforgettable summer of 2010, with the acrimony and vitriol lessening every time he re-entered Quicken Loans Arena.

For anyone who was there on that surreal Dec. 2, 2010 night, when he came back for the first time and was given the Art Modell treatment to such a frightening degree that you wondered if the boos and the bad vibes would ever stop, some of the latest sights from this Ohio scene were surely hard to believe. A "Come Home LeBron" campaign for the Akron native and likely free-agent-to-be? A game in which he said afterward that the way he'd been treated was "flattering"? There was a time when such hospitality simply didn't seem possible.

But as the Cavaliers' slide continues (four consecutive losses, seven of eight in all) and their chances at landing him seem further and further away, the league's best player should strongly consider this public relations plan: Let the locals down easy this time. The moment he knows Cleveland is no longer an option - and let's be honest, he may already know that much considering the respective state of the Heat and Cavs right now - he should put an end to this subplot by making it widely known that it's not on his list of possible destinations.

James did nothing of the sort in his latest visit to Cleveland, offering the same answer about his situation as he has so often in recent months.

"You guys know I'm not talking about free agency right now," he told news reporters. "My only concern is hopefully win a third straight championship."

But with all the bad blood that has finally subsided, the admissions that finally came about "The Decision" television show and how his exit was so badly mishandled, there's simply no value in stringing Cleveland along any longer than necessary if James doesn't see it as a realistic option. And while Kyrie Irving's seemingly-limitless potential and star-power may be enough to attract the best of the best among his peers, it's nearly impossible to imagine James coming the Cavs' way if things keep going like this.

Then again, as we saw this week, stranger things have happened.

REVISIONIST HISTORY: Rudy Gay trade was right for Grizzlies

A quick follow-up note here on my recent piece in which three NBA scouts analyzed the post-Marc Gasol injury Memphis Grizzlies. One of the kind gentlemen who agreed to anonymously assist with the story shared his view that Memphis would continue to be haunted by the trading of small forward Rudy Gay almost a year ago and the replacement of former coach Lionel Hollins with first-year coach and former Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger.

But as it pertains to Gay - and this how I've seen that deal all along after he was sent to the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 31 - I simply don't see how the merits of that move can still be debated in light of the undeniable evidence that unfolded after he was gone. Memphis, to review, went 27-10 without him and set a franchise record in wins, as Gasol, forward Zach Randolph and point guard Mike Conley carried heavier loads while new addition Tayshaun Prince fit in well in Gay's old spot; the Grizzlies then reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

All of that is the basketball data, but the business component just can't be ignored. With the Grizzlies a small market team that has a current payroll of approximately $68.9 million that's nearing the luxury tax threshold without Gay, he's in Toronto earning $17.8 million this season and has a player option worth $19.3 million for next season ‚?? a pay grade that puts him up there with stars like the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant ($19.9 million) and even above James if he doesn't opt out ($20.5). Meanwhile, here's the lump-sum intel on Gay's notoriously inefficient production: While he has averaged 19.4 points per game, he has shot 40.9% overall since the trade and 35.1% from three-point range since playing for the Raptors.

As for what Gasol being out means, every scout did a super job detailing why they may not be able to recover from this loss this season. Since he suffered a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament sprain, the Grizzlies have lost to Houston and downed Boston. Next up, they host Brooklyn on Saturday.

REFLECTING: Mike Miller on championships and Memphis return

In our ongoing series of chats with widely-respected players who won't likely be around much longer (Derek Fisher was last week), we present the Grizzlies' Mike Miller. The Miami Heat's decision to amnesty him last offseason saved them more than $16 million in luxury taxes, though Miller was still paid the $12.8 million he was owed before parting ways with the team that he helped win back-to-back championships and reach the Finals three consecutive times.

It paved the way for a Memphis reunion, as the 33-year-old sharpshooter was able to sign with the team that he played for as a fan favorite from 2003 to 2008. In a brief interview with USA TODAY Sports, Miller ‚?? who had strongly considered retirement in recent years because of back problems ‚?? discussed his new challenge and explained why his love for his Heat teammates will never wane.

Q. So after everything you've done and been through, how are you these days?

A. I feel great, the best I've felt in a long, long time.

Q. The health is good?

A. For me, it was a back issue, and those things can be devastating. But I (did) a lot of things. I took care of my body, and now I feel great.

Q. Is it safe to say you have that perspective of a guy who has been there and done that now? You hear guys like Kobe talk about how your time in the game isn't really all that long even for guys who have long careers. Do you find yourself soaking it all in?

A. That's all it is right now. One thing where I've been fortunate is that I've won (a championship), so now my appreciation is just being out there. ... You just appreciate the atmosphere in the building, all that stuff. I feel like I've got a lot of basketball left in me, and I'll do the best I can.

Q. So no hard feelings over Miami's decision because you know it was a business decision?

A. I hope that's all it was. It's tough, because what we had there was awesome. We went to three straight Finals, were back to back champs, and I obviously wanted to be there. At the same time, when you've done 14 years (in the NBA) like I have you see a lot of the business side of basketball, and that's part of it.

Q. Do you still watch their games more than anyone else?

A. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I have a lot of friends over there. We went through a lot together. People don't understand how much we went through together. We were ridiculed, had a lot of pressure on us the whole time. They'll be fine (this season). That's what they do. They've had three long seasons over there. But they've got so much talent over there, and with the best player in the world, they'll be fine.

Andrew Bogut, the Warriors' unfiltered Aussie center, is always entertaining, a no-pulled-punches personality who has had a love-hate relationship with the world of Twitter. Exhibit A of his dry humor: his reaction to being suspended for a game at New Orleans because of the role he played in a scuffle with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He canceled his account on more than occasion out of annoyance with the nonsensical people the social media platform would put in front of him, then eventually returned when he was advised that it's a must-have for any professional athlete these days. For that we are grateful.